Fringe show adds musical twist to Riverview High

If you were a teen in the 90s, there’s a good chance you probably had a mad crush on Kelly Kapowski from Saved by the Bell or Laney Boggs from She’s All That.

And it might still be too soon to say but if you attended high school in the 2000s, you probably listened to a lot of Death Cab for Cutie, after hearing them on The OC.

John Hughes’ 1985 detention flick The Breakfast Club provided an entire generation an outlet for their teen angst, hopes and fears. Riverview High hopes to connect with audiences in the same way. (GOGGLE IMAGES)

The one thing these all have in common is high school and even more so, they are all, at times, escape outlets for those who didn’t enjoy their own high school experiences. But whether you’re starting, ending or sending a kid into high school, it’s a stage of life when we all need a little help – and a good laugh – as we stumble along.

Emily Canavan (left) and Stephanie Standerwick (right) play Erica and Cathy, respectively, who fight over Sayer Roberts’ character Alex in the new original production Riverview High: The Musical. (ANGELA WONG PHOTO)

Welcome to Riverview

That’s the idea behind Riverview High: The Musical, an original production premiering Thursday as a part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival. While loosely based on the zany characters – and of course, the love triangle – of the beloved Archie comics, Riverview High explores a group of friends as they stand on “the cusp of something really special in their lives,” said director and co-lyricist Mike Mackenzie.

“It’s not as corny or hokey as some of those shows were or the comics were … but we’ve drawn inspiration from those sources,” he noted. “(These characters) are focused on what’s the next step of life after they leave the halls of Riverview High.”

Love triangle nostalgia

Set in 1996, the musical begins with the red-headed Alex accidentally asking both Cathy, a sweet blonde, and Erica, a saucy brunette, to prom. Cue the fumbling but lovable sidekick and if that doesn’t smack of Archie comic-book nostalgia and inspiration, I don’t know what does.

Created by Stewart Yu and Angela Wong, the musical is set to become a Fringe crowd favourite, thanks to its nostalgic feel and pop culture nods.

Brunettes have fun too

One to watch is actor Emily Canavan who plays Erica, a character inspired by Archie’s brunette pick, Veronica. Canavan most recently appeared as Mimi in Fighting Chance Productions’ staging of RENT and audiences would be wise to follow her next step in Vancouver theatre.

(Another fun note! Canavan was pulled on stage recently at Broadway star Idina Menzel’s Vancouver show to sing the RENT classic “Take Me or Leave Me”. Can I just say Canavan absolutely kills it? You can watch the clip here beginning at 3:00.)

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